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Do you have a funny story to share?Here's mine:new student to my studio, little boy age 7. The first thing he said to me after I greeted him at the door was, "Are you doing this for the money? Cause if you are, my dad will fire you like he did my last teacher."How did I reply to this, you ask?"No. Now come in and sit down".I couldn't think up anything better to say, put on the spot like that.

new student to my studio, little boy age 7. The first thing he said to me after I greeted him at the door was, "Are you doing this for the money? Cause if you are, my dad will fire you like he did my last teacher."

Hahahaha ROFL. oH dear Barb860! I would be floored by a comment like that. And I just thought up a better reply. "No I'm doing it because I love children... Roasted with gravy!Do come in!"

Ok here's mine. I have a child with great rhythm, pieces flow along with no interruptions, hesitations or bars of indeterminite length.Except for one day.. He halted on the first beat of a bar in the middle of a piece, leant forward, broke wind rather loudly, then continued from exactly where he left off and played to the end. No giggling or commentary about trombone-style interruption.

Perhaps it is true what they say about boys and multitasking.

_________________________Composers manufacture a product that is universally deemed superfluous—at least until their music enters public consciousness, at which point people begin to say that they could not live without it.Alex Ross.

Barb860, Thanks for this topic! I'm still chuckling over a 6 year old student's comments. As she came into the studio I asked how her day had been. She said it had been terrible. I was curious as to what makes a terrible day for a 6 year old, so I asked what had happened. She said "A boy accidentally kicked me. (Showed the leg bruise) Someone stepped on my snack. No one would play with me at recess, and a bee got this close to my face (holding her hand about 4 inches away from her face)."

Also another first grader was here. Something came up about sharps. I said "oh, that's an F sharp, we haven't gotten to that yet" and I showed him where it is on the piano. He excitedly said "I've always wanted to play F sharp!" I smiled and said "You've always wanted to play F sharp?" Then he said "I don't know." But it's such a great picture of the enthusiasm he has for every new thing he learns!

Today a third grader played a piece with the damper pedal for the first time. "Oooh. It sounds all mishy-mashy."

Another third grader told me she had "exciting news! I'm getting taller!"Oh, you are?"Yes! Wanna know how I know? Last week my shoes fit just fine and this week they're too tight."

A second grader bounced into lessons: "Wanna see what I discovered this week? If you play this (he played a major third) it sounds good, but if you play this (major second) it doesn't sound good at all."

Love this thread hope it continues for a while. My next offering is from a 6 year old who stalls her exit for as long as possible every week (I have a 15min gap after her).

6 year old: "Can I stay for dinner?"

Me: "It's only 4 o'clock!"

6 yo: "I don't mind."

Me: "But I have lots of students between now and then."

6 yo enthusiastically offers "I can sit quietly."

Me and parent try not to laugh

_________________________Composers manufacture a product that is universally deemed superfluous—at least until their music enters public consciousness, at which point people begin to say that they could not live without it.Alex Ross.

There was the 6 year old student that was preparing his first Guild program but he called it "guilt". I always wondered what he thought he was doing that caused him such "guilt".

I have a student that is involved with a lot of sports teams. I tease her and tell her that I am going to make piano "team" shirts with all of my students names on the back that I want everyone to wear.

What about kids' songwriting. Is it just me or do other people's students write songs where someone or something dies by the 4th line? Here I am writing lots of lovely amusing and wholesome songs with piano for kids, and they come up with the likes of this:

BABOON by 8yo

"Broke into the carRipping out the seatsLooking for food.When they are pets they have to be shot."

The melody and rhythm were really good And this is only one example - teachers, kids, animals are killed or maimed regularly. Most of these are written by boys, but not all.

_________________________Composers manufacture a product that is universally deemed superfluous—at least until their music enters public consciousness, at which point people begin to say that they could not live without it.Alex Ross.

I've got to hijack this thread for just a moment, as I heard the funniest joke today. Maybe you can guess why I nearly split my sides laughing.

Q What is the capital of Korea?

_________________________
"Those who dare to teach must never cease to learn." -- Richard Henry DannFull-time Private Piano Teacher offering Piano Lessons in Olympia, WA. www.mypianoteacher.comCertified by the American College of Musicians; member NGPT, MTNA, WSMTA, OMTA

_________________________
"Those who dare to teach must never cease to learn." -- Richard Henry DannFull-time Private Piano Teacher offering Piano Lessons in Olympia, WA. www.mypianoteacher.comCertified by the American College of Musicians; member NGPT, MTNA, WSMTA, OMTA

One day I was teaching one of my students - the cutest most innocent 5-year old boy ever - and was asking him how many beats each note got. Since he's somewhat shy he was showing me the counts with his fingers. We started with whole notes and he held up four fingers, then went to half notes - two fingers, pointer and middle. Then when I asked him how many a quarter note got he hesitated for a minute, then proudly held up one finger, his middle finger.

_________________________Composers manufacture a product that is universally deemed superfluous—at least until their music enters public consciousness, at which point people begin to say that they could not live without it.Alex Ross.

In a Kindermusik class we were listening to different bird calls. I had a card with several pictures of birds on them and when we heard the bird call, we'd name the bird and point to it on the card. There was a bluebird, cardinal, owl, and then a chickadee. "OK," I said, "What's the name of this bird (pointing to the chickadee)?" One little boy spoke up nice and loud, "Oh! That's the little fat guy!"

FWIW - I sent John's joke to my S (a student at Juilliard) and he got it. Said, "How true." Yes, there are many Koreans at Juilliard (including two of my S's roomamtes), but it is more than that. Juilliard is famous - quite well known in Korea. Revered. Everyone there seems to know of it and respects it. My S has toured in Korea to sold out crowds and TV coverage, on the basis of his school name alone.

When he got into Juilliard, we lived in Germany, and most of our friends (albeit non-musical) had no idea what that meant until we explained that it was "something like the Mozarteum." Here is the south, it is probably something less than 50% who recognize the school name. Although that has increased now: "Oh! That school in 'August Rush'?"

When he finished one of his books, he excitedly said "Oh! I beat the book!"

The other was when I was quizzing him and he couldn't quite remember what a tie was so I was giving him hints. I said "something you do to your shoelaces" and his eyes got huge and he yelled out "knot!"

The other was when I was quizzing him and he couldn't quite remember what a tie was so I was giving him hints. I said "something you do to your shoelaces" and his eyes got huge and he yelled out "knot!"

I about fell on the floor when he said that

Reminds me of this little boy I teach who is 5. We were reviewing dotted half notes. I covered up the dot with my finger and asked him what that note was, "half note!" I pointed to the dot and asked what that was "a Period!" I said, "Close, but not quite" and then I said "polka" to hopefully prompt him to day dot, but all I got was "Polka-dotted half note!" LOL!

My 5 year old student came to class all excited that they just got a "puppy"!

I asked him what kind of puppy, and he said it was a mixed puppy! To reassured him that mixed puppies can be really cute, I asked what was the mix! He said it was half "german" and half "shepherd"! Turns out it really was a pure bred, but he had no idea!

Could quite get through his whole lesson because I just couldn't stop laughing at this! Just one of those days when it just hits you funny!